Michael Linquata
___________________________________________________________________________
Michael
Linquata, much like his father Leo, has an
impressive list of community and national
accomplishments. When he was only a teenage, he
volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army as a medic in
WWII. To read Michael's heroic and compelling story
of his time in the European Theatre with the 134th
Infantry Regiment, please
click here.
Upon his discharge
from the Army in December 1945, Michael went to work full time
for his father’s Progressive Fish Wharf Incorporated. Soon,
he applied to colleges and was accepted and enrolled
in Suffolk University in Boston, MA in the fall of
1946. Michael earned a Bachelors of Science in
Business Administration in 1950. He also served as
President of his class. During his summer
breaks from Suffolk, Michael still worked at
Progressive and was the full-time production manager after graduation.
Despite having
strong commitments in Gloucester, Michael remained
active in Suffolk’s affairs. First, Michael served
as the General Chairman for the First Annual Fund
Drive for the University. Then, in the early seventies,
he was elected as an Alumni Trustee of the
University. One of the committees that he was
assigned to was the Building Committee. Within a
year he was named chairman of the committee. During
this time the University purchased and renovated of
the old United Way building on Asburton Place in
Boston. This is now the Suffolk University Sawyer
School of Business building. The project was completed under budget
and ahead of time. For his accomplishments, in June
of 1984 the University honored Michael with an Honorary
Doctorate in Commercial Science.
In the fall of
1966 Michael took over active management of the
restaurant. While this is a full-time job, he also
found time for community involvement and betterment
endeavors. For fifteen years he was the majority
owner and president of the Seven Seas Whale Watch,
which still docks on the Seven Seas Wharf today.
Michael has also been President of the Gloucester
Rotary Club, President of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, and President of
the North of Boston Tourist Council. He has served
the City of Gloucester on the
Harbor Improvement Commission, the Boulevard
Reconstruction Committee, the
Traffic Commission, on a Bridge Feasibility study,
and as the commander of the Gloucester VFW Post.
Michael’s most recent accomplishment is the founding
of Gloucester WWII Memorial Committee which
raised funds and erected a monument on Stacy
Boulevard honoring Gloucester’s significant
contribution during the second World War. To learn
more, please visit their website at
www.gloucesterww2vetsmemorial.org
Today, Michael
enjoys spending his winters in Naples, FL with his
wife, Lillian. He has four children - Leonard
(Lenny), Lawrence (Larry), Mike Jr., and Anne Mortillaro.
Read
about Michael's war experience here.
Visit the WWII Veterans Memorial Website, today!
Michael and his wife, Lillian.
Michael and
the entire Linquata family.
